


Nothing's so bad it's not good for something

by ximeria



Series: 2014 Fic-A-Week (all the XMFC AUs) [10]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, First Meetings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2018-01-15 03:55:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1290370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ximeria/pseuds/ximeria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>New York is used to being the target for attacks by giant robots/aliens/supernatural being etc. On one of those days, Erik Lehnsherr finds himself cooped up in a coffee shop, unable to leave (as all citizens are told to stay in door until the threat is dealt with). Unfortunately he's got little to do with his time until the attack is over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing's so bad it's not good for something

**Author's Note:**

> I've always been fascinated by meetings where the characters don't 'see' each other physically, so here's a little first meeting scene of a slightly different kind.

Erik huffed and turned another page. He wasn't really managing to read all that much. At least he wasn't gawking at the window of the coffee shop. Just because New York was under siege. Again. It made it the second time in as many months. Well, siege. Apparently everyone had been told to stay inside while the Avengers dealt with the threat. Or maybe it was the Fantastic Four. Erik didn't much care.

All it meant was that he'd be stuck in the coffee shop for the next few hours. Upside: coffee. Downside: other people - and he had less than ten pages left of his book. He wasn't even going to touch upon the fact that the battery on his tablet had died half an hour earlier. At least the latter gave him an excuse to not do anything work related.

He looked out the small section of the window that he could see that wasn't crowded with people and spotted the small bookstore on the opposite side. Now why couldn't he have been caught on that side instead? Possibly there was a lack of coffee there, but at least there'd be entertainment. Entertainment not run on battery. It was partly his own fault for not taking the recharger along. He'd played with the idea of re-charging it with the use of his powers, but his self control wasn't that finely honed. Yet.

Another book wouldn't be too bad to have, anyway.

_'Nor would a cuppa tea, right now.'_

Erik startled and stared unseeingly ahead. What the...?

_'Oh! I'm so sorry - I didn't mean to project that.'_

Sitting up straight, Erik took a look around. No, everyone was still busy either gawking at the empty street outside or doing their own thing. So ...telepath.

 _'Spot on,'_ the voice replied. _'And I meant it; I am sorry about trespassing.'_

 _'Were you digging?'_ Erik asked back. _'And where are you, anyway? Who are you?'_

A trickle of amusement and pleasant surprise washed over Erik. _'No, but your surface thoughts were rather loud, and I'm only just across the street. In the bookstore.' There was a pause then: _'I'm Charles.'__

 _'Erik.'_ He stared at the window, annoyed when someone stepped in front of him. He pulled at the guys zippers and whatever metal he could find in his pockets and on his clothes.

The delighted laughter returned and Erik couldn't quite help smiling. Going by the looks of people around him, his smile was less than reassuring.

 _'I'm sure it's not that bad,'_ Charles said, warmth radiating with his voice.

 _'You obviously haven't seen me smile,'_ Erik replied dryly. Plenty of people had told him his smiles were a little too wide, a little too toothy. Not that he cared.

 _'I'm sure it's lovely,'_ Charles told him.

 _'Well, you haven't seen it, now have you?'_ Erik put his book away, and settled back in his seat.

 _'You could always show me in person when it's safe to go out again,'_ Charles suggested.

Erik could pretty much feel taste the cheek in the voice. It wasn't something he normally liked, but in this case... _'Are you asking me out?'_

_'Maybe see where a conversation about literature over a cuppa tea might lead.'_

Erik snorted and it earned him more than a few strange looks from the other people in the coffee shop. _'Make that a coffee for me, and you're on,'_ Erik agreed.

 _'Win some, lose some,'_ Charles replied. _'Now, until we can get to that, how are your feelings on HP Lovecraft?'_

Erik pursed his lips and tapped his fingers on the edge of the table, considering another cup of coffee and his answer. Not only did this mean he had something to do instead of driving himself insane, but who could tell what else might come of it, indeed.

The end


End file.
